Hearts From The Other Side
by asilentdrifter
Summary: AU, Chii enters into a new town without a single memory of her past. But it's hiding a secret that may lead to her grave unless a reluctant soul is willing to intervene and change her fate.
1. The Mysterious Stranger

**Hearts From The Other Side**

_Hey guys, I did not want to start on another story at this point, but this idea was just begging to break out and I just had to put it down on paper. I hope it's to your liking and tell me what you think._

Chapter 1: The Mysterious Stranger

She had walked for many miles now. The balls of her feet ached from walking along the dirt road for hours and she felt exhausted. Every breath she took grew heavier and more ragged. It did not help that she also had a heavy bag on her back. Her skin accumulated a very thin layer of dust from the hot, dry air. Her weary eyes peered at the small town out in the distance and it lifted her spirits up slightly from the thought of rest and a nice warm bed. With that at hand, she quickened her pace with a second wind of energy and marched to the town square.

The town itself was situated in the middle of an open, grassy plain. It was a quaint place and it held an elegant air of tranquility and peacefulness. The silence that surrounded it was not awkward, but comfortable. Wooden and brick houses lined along the cobbled pavement, each with its own unique style and shade of color. The air inside was surprisingly cool and crisp; to take one gulp would refresh your body and sharpen the mind. Soft blades of grass whipped in the direction of the gentle breeze like waves in the ocean. Chii stood and looked around in awe of such a beautiful yet isolated place.

She wandered off, absorbing all the sights around her when she spotted a small bakery at the corner of a crossway. It had a bent, wooden sign with the words 'Chiroru's' painted in red. She hesitated for a moment, and than nervously opened the door.

It was small, but there was enough space to have a couple plastic tables evenly spaced in front of the counter. Chii trotted over to the glass case which housed all of their cakes and pastries. Multi-layered slices of cake from all different flavors oozed with icing and some had pieces of fruit meticulously placed on top. Pies and scones ranged from apple to blueberry to chocolate cream. Cookies were stacked in separate trays with small name tags displayed such as 'chocolate chip' or 'peanut butter'. Chii's stomach began to growl just from smelling the aromas of all the baked goods and confections in the store.

An attendant came out of the backdoor and skipped over to the counter. She was about the same height as Chii and had short, brown hair with a pink clip attached on.

"Hello! How may I help you today?" she asked with positive enthusiasm.

Chii looked around, unsure of what to get. The girl behind the counter narrowed her eyes and stared at her with scrutiny.

"You're not from around here are you?" she asked.

Chii shook her head profuse and replied, "No, Chii just came here."

"Wow, we almost never get new people around here! Hi, I'm Yumi Oomura!" Yumi said in the same positive tone. It looked like nothing could ever weigh down her bright and cheery attitude.

"My name is Chii," and she made a bow.

"Hmmm," Yumi searched the glass case, darting from one pastry to another. "Ah, ha! Why don't you try this one? I just baked it myself!" She held up a particular one in her hands. Chii saw that it was a very tantalizing souffle topped with a swirl of whipped cream.

Chii widened her eyes in admiration but then they fell to the floor in disappointment. "Chii has no money," she said in a small voice.

"Ah, that doesn't matter. I want to know what you think," Yumi replied with excitement and placed it in Chii's hands.

"But Chii can't take something without paying!" she spoke again, appalled at the idea of receiving something without payment.

"I'll say it's on the house! I need feedback from costumers anyway and my boss won't mind at all…I think," Yumi replied cheerily as she offered a plastic spoon.

"Thank you very much," and she took a bite. She blinked and her eyes grew huge as the souffle melted in her mouth.

"It is delicious!" Chii said in amazement as it teased her taste buds further, engulfing into a state of creamy goodness.

"Thanks, I was kind of nervous if people would actually like it since it's my first time making anything besides the usual cake, cookie, and pie," Yumi had a huge grin plastered on her face.

Just then, another man came out of the backdoor of the shop. He had a white outfit designed for professional cooks and had a big floppy chef hat on top of his scruffy, brown hair. He had a twinkle in his friendly eyes and he spoke in a warm tone of voice.

"Yumi, have you been giving out 'free' samples again? You know we need to make ends meet and we can't do that if you keep giving out something without payment for each customer," he chided.

Yumi shifted her weight nervously from side to side, staring at the floor. "But she's new here, and she has no money, and I thought maybe she would want to try something out."

Chii watched the manager and assistant interacting with each other. Yumi continued to fidget slightly and looked at everything but the man right in front. He eyed her critically with a stern look, but she could still see the same twinkle. He looked as if he was amused watching her squirm.

"Chii will pay for it," she piped up. The manager glanced over her way and examined with interest. "Chii does not have a job, but Chii will get the money so please don't be mad at Yumi," she said.

"Huh?" His eyes focused unto Chii.

"Hmm," The manager walked over to the newcomer and bent over to her eye level. He thought for a moment while looking at her perceptively. "Well..., what if you don't get a job around here?" he carefully asked. Chii was unable to reply back with an answer.

"Chii can get a job here! We always needed another person and she can help out here! You can work here can you?" Yumi asked eagerly and looked at Chii.

Chii bowed her head and looked over at the manager who was still contemplating at the idea. "Chii will try to learn everything and work very hard," she said with determination.

He let out a good-natured laugh. "All right, you got me. How can I say no to two cute faces looking at me like that?" He clapped a hand on Chii's shoulder. "All right, you're in. You can begin here tomorrow. Is that okay with you?"

"Chii can come tomorrow," she bowed her head in thanks. However, he noticed her hesitation.

"Is something wrong?" he asked again. Chii looked back and said quietly, "Chii does not know where to stay." The manager had the same smile on his face and replied, "You don't have to worry about that. There's an inn west of here that you can stay at. Just tell the landlady over there that you need a room and that you will work at Chiroru's. She'll let you stay overnight for free."

Chii beamed with joy and was about ready to speed off in that direction when he stopped her from bursting through the door.

"Whoa, slow down, let me tell you my name first okay?" he chuckled, "I'm the manager, Hiroyasu Ueda, but in the workplace you can call me manager."

She pointed enthusiastically at Ueda and proclaimed, "Ueda is called manager! Chii will remember, always!" Ueda chuckled again from her wide-eyed innocence.

"Good, now be here at nine o' clock sharp." He opened the door for her.

"Chii will remember!" she announced and sped off to the inn.

Ueda shook his head in disbelief and amusement and looked over at Yumi. "You certainly attract the most interesting characters over here don't you?" Yumi just grinned widely back at him and ducked her head into the ingredients stored in the cupboard.

Chii scurried down the pathway; houses passed by as colored blurs. Her slim, white dress with cuffs fluttered in the wind and her purple ribbons tied around her elbows bounced up and down with every stride. She stopped in front of one building with the sign painted "Angelic Rest" in bold letters. It was a small and quaint inn. The oak walls were short but sturdy and there was a feeling of tidiness and tranquility surrounding the whole building. Chii opened the glass door and walked in. There were a couple of puffy sofas around a glass table with a vase full of dandelions. Lamps attached to the walls were strategically placed along the whitewashed walls. Just then, a woman came out from a door and asked, "Hello there, do you need anything?"

Chii looked around in curiosity and trotted over to the counter. She replied, "Chii needs a room to stay for work at Chiroru's."

The woman gave a warm smile and picked out a room key from a drawer. "Oh you're going to work there? They're tiramisu is to die for!" She walked from the counter and over to Chii. "You can follow me dear. I'll guide you to your room, and my name is Ms. Hibiya. I'm the landlady here."

"Your name is Ms. Hibiya. This woman is Ms. Hibiya. She is the landlady." Chii said, pointing her finger to confirm.

Ms. Hibiya's eyes twinkled and both of them went up the stairs and down the hall until they reached a door on the left.

"Here you are Chii, and the bathroom is right across from your door. If you need anything, I will be in the only room downstairs. Do you need anything else?" she asked kindly. Chii shook her head and confirmed with a "Chii is fine."

Ms. Hibiya left the room and Chii looked around. It was small but comfortable. A wooden polished bed was located in a corner with a firm yet soft mattress. Folded blankets were placed on the bed, next to the wooden closet and cabinet. Fluffy white towels were hanging on a steel bar nailed to a wall and a polished desk with a light-blue lamp on top stood under a window with cotton curtains.

Chii walked over to the bed and sat on it. A frown replaced her usual smile as she tried desperately to remember anything from her past. Ever since she came to this town, she has not remembered a single memory as if someone had erased everything that has happened to her.

She fell back on the pillow and turned to her side. There was something else that had bothered her when she came here. When she was in Chiroru's, a man stooped over was sitting by himself in a corner. It seemed that Yumi or Manager Ueda had noticed him at all. The man just stared down at the table and once in a while he looked at Yumi and gave out a sigh. He even glanced at Chii for a moment before his head drooped down in dejection. She sensed the aura of sadness that surrounded his slumped form. But what made her feel the deepest pity in her heart was the look of his eyes. His black orbs were deep and dark like tunnels, not a single glimmer of hope in them.

Chii closed her eyes and went into an uneasy sleep. She was totally unaware of the set of eyes among the treetops, watching her from the window before they disappeared in the everlasting night.

* * *

For the next couple of days, she had quickly become accustomed to the simple and quiet life she had entered in. She became fast friends with Yumi who was eager to have another co-worker to chat with. Manager Ueda was kind and helped her whenever she has trouble with a specific recipe or had a question about what kind of delicacies there were available. Ms. Hibiya was like a mentor to her and showed her around the town and where all the significant sights were and the shops.

However, very occasionally Chii spotted the same brooding man in the same dark corner of the pastry shop. Yet, whenever she finally had some time spared to attend to him, he vanished without a trace. It disorientated her many times and both Yumi and Ueda often asked her if she was feeling okay.

"Yumi? Do you see a man over there?" Chii pointed.

"Hm?" Yumi scanned over to the corner to where she was pointing at. "No, I don't see anyone. Why?"

Chii looked at Yumi with confusion. "But Chii saw hi-," She looked back, but than he vanished.

"Are you feeling all right? You always think there's some guy over there. Maybe it was a trick of the light or something," Yumi said.

Chii was saddened from Yumi's disbelief. "But Chii knows someone is there…,"

Night has fallen and Chii was preparing to leave after a day of hard work. She had memorized the route back to the inn from Chiroru's and made good time.

Suddenly, she heard a rustling sound behind her. She turned around; expecting another person walking on the same sidewalk but nothing was in sight. She started walking again, but more slowly and carefully. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a shadow twitch and flashed across the rim of the circle of light from the street lamp. Chii hastened, more eager to return back to the inn. She was beginning to feel fearful and desired the safety of her bedroom. Her ears could even pick up the light tapping of concrete all around her and it panicked her. Then it became deadly silent.

Chii began to feel shivers crawl down her back and she held butterflies in her stomach. Then a low growl reached through her ears and vibrated her body even further.

A pack of lean, black wolves were standing in the middle of the road.

Ms. Hibiya had warned her that even though this was a peaceful village, occasionally, wild animals may go enter through since it is in the middle of the plains.

Their fur was as dark as the night itself. Their powerful muscles twitched with anticipation from the sound of Chii's uneven breaths. They immediately focused their attention at the shivering girl a few feet in front of them. One wolf walked out from the pack. It was larger and more feral than the rest and it distinctly made itself to be the leader of the group. It growled and started barking, foam dripping from its mouth. Its large yellow eyes glared at her and gave another short bark as a signal. The rest of the pack charged with a wild fury and the distance between them and Chii quickly shortened.

Chii held back a frightened scream and ran as fast as she could, but the rabid wolves were overtaking her. One leaped into the air and Chii stared in horror as its mouth clamped unto her dress. She tried to push it away, but its grip did not relinquish while the rest of the pack surrounded her. The white cloth ripped and another one jumped on top of her body. She could smell its breath and felt the graze of its teeth on her skin. Tears trickled from Chii's eyes and she closed them, waiting for their terrifying jaws to rip her body and devour her flesh.

A yelp was heard and the wolves scattered. Chii slowly opened her eyes and she saw the back of the same man that had appeared in the pastry shop. But this was not the same slouched, depressed man she seen before. His back was straight, fists clenched and his eyes narrowed in a cold stare. For the first time, his usually empty eyes glowed with a fire that immediately made the feral beasts have second thoughts.

Many of the wolves ran, frightened by the sight the man as if he was a supernatural being. The alpha wolf stared at him wide-eyed, totally bewildered from what it had seen before speeding off with the rest of its companions.

Chii tentatively stood up. She had numerous cuts and bruises and her clothes were all soiled and torn, but other than that, she was fine. She lifted her eyes off from the ground in the direction of the peculiar stranger.

"Thank y-," She blinked in confusion. He was not there. He disappeared just as quick as he came.

Chii glanced around but no other living being was around her for a good ten feet. Chii shivered from the cold air and quickly hurried back to the inn with thoughts of her rescuer occupying her mind.

"Chii? What happened to you?"

Ms. Hibiya hurried over to her with a damp cloth and immediately dabbed her cuts and wiped scrapes of dirt. She was in a very battered state but what surprised her most was that Chii's eyes were glowing.

"Chii saw wolves!" she spoke excitedly.

"Oh dear! Are you all right?" Ms. Hibiya continued to take care of her wounds but it was rather difficult since she kept bobbing up and down on the balls of her feet. It was rather odd that she was ecstatic after such a dangerous encounter. "What are you so excited about?" she queried.

"Someone saved me!" she said again in a way that resembled a schoolgirl telling her mother of her first crush. She clapped her hands together and rocked left and right from the reminiscence.

"Oh, did you say thank you to the person who saved you?"

Chii looked down and replied, "No…he went away."

Ms. Hibiya finished tending to Chii and leaded her back to her room. "Why don't you tell me what the person looked like? Maybe I know where he lives," she asked kindly.

Chii had a look of concentration. "He did not look very happy. The 'someone' is always sad and never talks to anybody." Chii soon became glum and a wave of sympathy washed over her. "He looks like he is in pain right here," she placed her hands over her breast where the heart would be.

"Oh…," Ms. Hibiya's expression did not betray any emotion but Chii couldn't help noticing how sullen she was.

"Is something wrong?" Chii questioned, wondering if anything was troubling her.

"Don't worry about it so much dear. Now, you need some rest. Get a good night's sleep ok?" Ms. Hibiya said.

"Okay, Chii will get rest now," and Chii fluttered into her room.

Ms. Hibiya sighed and made a slow walk back downstairs and to her room. She hadn't expected him to stay after all these years ever since the accident.

"So…_he's_ still here, the poor boy," she whispered in a sad voice.

* * *

Chii took off her clothes and changed into her pajamas in the bathroom. She trotted over to her bed and pulled up the soft, fluffy blankets and let out a breath of air. So many things had happened today yet she did not know a single thing about the strange figure. She turned over on her side and immediately fell asleep from exhaustion, not noticing the two dim lights from atop of a branch, blinking twice before they disappeared among the leaves. 


	2. Dreams and Reality

_Sorry again for being so late on this. I really should try to push myself to continue my stories now and then. Anyway, here's the next chapter and it took a while for me to pull it all together so hope you enjoy it._

Chapter 2: Dreams and Reality

There was nothing her eye could see in this place. Everywhere she looked was pitch-black. Even the area where she was standing on is the exact same shade as everywhere else. Chii looked all around in confusion as the dark feelings of loneliness crept up inside of her. She wanted to leave to find her own sanctum of peace, but in every direction it was the same sight. She was trapped in a big, unlit, empty, seemingly endless space with no sign of an exit in sight.

She shivered to herself; her breaths grew rapid and she held her slightly trembling hands to her breast. The thought of staying in this dismal place sent chills down her back. As she aimlessly walked, her legs gave away and she found herself squatted with her forehead on her knees.

Then a strange sound entered in her ears.

Her head shot up and immediately surveyed the surroundings to pinpoint the location, desperate to find anything different nearby. It was difficult to describe this wondrous sound she was hearing, but it reminded her of a hand running through a row of hanging bell chimes. She continued to spin around until she spotted something behind her. A different splotch of black that she had never seen before was moving on its own. It kept hovering from one point to another, occasionally stopping for a moment now and then. Her eyes focused on this new phenomenon and slowly little nuances unfolded in front of her until she could tell without question that it was in a shape of a man. He did not seem to notice her at all as he casually walked around with his hands in his pockets. Once in a while, he would squat down and pull his hands out and wave it around in front of himself and then put then back where they were. Then he would stand up and continue his stroll. Chii was rather puzzled at this behavior but watched him as he wandered about.

After a while, his head suddenly turned to her. He paused for a second, and methodically made his way to her. He squatted in front of Chii and she could make out that his arms lay across on top of his knees, one on top of the other. She could see the outline of his face and for a second, she could've sworn his eyes twinkled.

They both stared at each other. Once again, Chii was unsure of what was happening but did not break away from his gaze. The man shifted his head down and his hands reached out to her knees. He rubbed them in small circles and welcoming warmth spread through her body. Chii let out a small sigh of relief, but before she became comfortable with this new sensation he already drew himself from her and was already walking away.

"Wait!" Chii called softly, finally finding the strength to stand up, and gasping in amazement as she realized that she could stand fully upright again.

The man hesitated, but kept walking. He was quickly melting back into the bleak surroundings. Chii ran after him in pursuit, desperate to stop this stranger. Her arms stretched out, but before they could embrace him he was gone. They grabbed at nothing but air.

She was alone again. The cold, dark abyss enveloped her and the sense of loss was crushing her heart. She lost him. The one ting that came to her had slipped through her fingers. "What is your name?" Chii finally uttered sadly under her breath.

"Wow….that's so…sad," Yumi said as she dabbed under her eyes with a napkin given by Chii. "And you have this dream often?"

Chii nodded and handed another one to her. Yumi grabbed it and blew her nose loudly, similar to a foghorn.

"But do you know who that person is?" Yumi asked again. The question strongly reminded Chii of the hidden character from the corner at the bakery that she saw in brief instances, but recently he was not there anymore. Chii shook her head and replied softly, "No, Chii does not know."

"It's just a dream. I'm sure it will go away in time," Yumi said encouragingly. Chii nodded back in acknowledgement.

"Hello?" Ueda popped his head into the room. "Can someone help me with these sale figures? I need someone to double check the total orders," he said sheepishly. He scratched the back of his head in mild embarrassment.

"I'll help!" Yumi piped up brightly and was immediately at his side, clarifying his calculations.

Chii watched the both of them interact with interest. Ueda was a kindhearted man and she liked working under him. He chuckled nervously as Yumi found out that he mistakenly misplaced the decimal points so instead of fifteen boxes of assorted cookies there were one-hundred and fifty. But Yumi smiled good-naturedly as he stammered his thanks. It seemed to Chii that the manager was more prone to make mistakes. She wasn't sure it was a good thing, but he tended to smile more in her presence. Chii looked over to see Yumi pulling out bags of flower from the cupboard. Over the last couple of days, the two girls got along very well. Yumi was always skipping around with a smile on her face whenever she came to work. Sometimes she could be too animated and get carried away with whatever chore she was doing. Manager Ueda was probably the only human being has the ability to handle her seemingly boundless amount of energy.

"Yumi-chan, are you sure you can hold those up? Maybe I should help," Ueda spoke with concern.

"It's all right. I can handle it," Yumi replied positively. She was balancing herself on the stool, one large bag of flour slung over each shoulder. Just then, her foot slipped off the edge and she let out a gasp.

"Ah!" Yumi cried out in surprise.

"Yumi-chan!" Ueda immediately shot his hands out and placed them firmly around her waist, preventing her fall. Chii saw the two bags of flour flying toward her and bluntly caught them in her already open arms.

"Yumi, are you all right?" Ueda asked, checking to make sure she was not hurt.

"Um…uh, I'm fine," Yumi said breathlessly. Her face was flushed, but she didn't think it was just from the as she lowered her head down to his hands still holding her. The manager followed her gaze and immediately pulled them away in embarrassment. A tint of red appeared on his cheeks.

"Chi?" Chii's head was cocked to one side as she watched Ueda and Yumi completely flustered. She lifted the two flour bags up in question.

"Oh, Chii! Um, bring the flour back over here," Ueda said sheepishly, gesturing to the counter behind him. Yumi stepped down from the stool, still not having complete eye contact with Ueda. Chii looked at Yumi confusingly, but she bowed her head to the manager and made her way to the backroom.

Before Chii knew it, the sun was beginning to set, turning the streets to a faint glow of golden brown. It was finally closing time.

"Okay Chii, here is your first pay for this week. You did a fascinating job." Chii held out her hands with her palms open and received a white envelope with her name on it.

"Thank you manager," Chii spoke happily in reply.

"Tommor is Saturday so you don't have to come and work," Ueda said kindly, "Just relax and enjoy yourself."

"Will Yumi go home too?" Chii questioned as she turned around and spotted her still wiping up the tables.

"Ah, not right now. I haven't finished yet," she replied, her arm shifting up and down attempting to scrub off a particularly stubborn spot of dirt. "Go on without me. You know how to reach back to the apartment now right?" Yumi had shown Chii how to walk back from the bakery before. Chii nodded.

"You know, I could clean up instead. You don't need to stay longer than you have to," Ueda spoke up.

"Oh, but it's my job! It's not a big deal! I don't mind staying here…," Yumi trailed off.

Chii looked at the both of them again and she had a slight idea that it was best to depart.

"Chii will leave now," she bowed once more and waved goodbye.

"Goodbye Chii!" Yumi waved back.

"Stay safe!" Ueda called, and with a final wave, Chii left the bakery.

She walked down the sidewalk, passing the town's main plaza and made a left turn in an alley. Chii did not have a definite route, but she knew the general location of where the apartment she housed in was. Her feet carried Chii to the end of the alleyway and reached a crossroad.

"Chi?" She looked around in confusion. She placed a hand to her cheek, trying to remember which direction to take at this point. Her gaze moved from left to right and back again.

"Are you lost?"

Chii whirled around and saw a man standing in the middle of a grassy field. He was wearing a white coat and blue jeans. His dark-brown hair was a bit long, the tip reaching to his collar and he had circle glasses. A large, strange looking contraption sat next to him. She could not imagine what it could do but it looked complicated to her.

"Who are you?" Chii asked curiously.

"Ah, forgive me for not introducing myself," He made a short bow. "My name is Yoshiyuki Kojima. I'm currently a resident here. What is yours?"

"Chii," she bowed back to him respectively. "Does Yoshiyuki know where to go to the inn?" Chii asked with a worried tone.

"Take a right from here and you will pass through a small park. After that, you should be able to see where it is," he replied, his eyes examining her interestingly. Chii felt like she was being x-rayed. Her gaze moved over to the machine next to him which was softly making clicking sounds. "What is that?" she asked, her finger pointing to it.

"Oh, that is a piece of equipment that allows me to detect certain patterns around this area. I'm gathering data for my research," he answered amusingly.

"Why does Yoshiyuki need to gather data?" she questioned, her head cocked to one side.

"Oh, I would love to explain all the fascinating details of my research, but I'm almost done and I should return to my residence." He glanced at his watch. "It is getting late, and don't you need to go back home too?"

"Oh, Chii will go now. It is nice to see you. Chii hopes to see Yoshiyuki again." Chii waved to him and hurriedly went on her way.

Yoshiyuki chuckled to himself and looked back to the machine. A red light appeared on the screen, but it vanished as soon as he saw it.

"Oh yes, I hope we meet again," he said to himself in the same amused tone.

Chii was walking faster now and crossed a bridge leading to a thin, dirt pathway. Trees towered above her like giants, branches reaching over her forming a tunnel of leaves and flowers. Even the grass here seemed more vibrant and alive as they danced with the gentle breeze. She looked all around her with amazement at the splendor of this new location. Never in her life had she been to such a mysterious yet wondrous place.

However, as time went on, Chii became more tired and her body felt heavier with each step. She felt that she had wandered for hours and was growing weary of fatigue and exhaustion. There seemed to be no end in sight and she wondered if Yoshiyuki had given her the wrong directions or that she took the wrong turn somewhere. It became hard for her to keep her eyes open as she continued to limp along. Finally her knees gave away and landed hard on the dense ground.

"Ow," she muttered, looking down at her knees now scraped red. Chii had no idea where she was going and what she would do. She might even have to sleep here, but there was always the danger of wild animals and this place that she came to certainly looked like a home for many beasts. Her body shivered from the cold air so Chii pulled her legs close and sat on the path. Her head was nodding off and sooner or later, sleep would overtake her.

Then she sensed movement between two large oaks. Chii looked at the spot, wide-eyed with fear. She prayed that it was not wolves and desperately wished to be back to her familiar apartment with the landlady, Ms. Hibiya. She clenched her eyes tightly and hid her face behind her legs. Then she heard a rustling, closer this time. It became too hard for her to breathe properly and she held her breath, waiting for it to come closer and closer until she could bear it no longer.

Chii finally looked up with dread and to her surprise there was a person a short distance away. Yet, the outline of his body was blurred and she could not tell if he was truly there or not. The man was wearing a dull grey mantle with a ragged cloak. He had chocolate-brown hair that fell over his face, shielding his eyes. His feet slowly carried him near a withering flower at the side of the dirt road. He bent down and brought his hands out. They glowed with a faint, blue light and its wrinkled brown petals began to unfurl and turn back to its original, healthy blue color. His hand shifted higher and the flower seemed to grow at a quick rate, following it in a twisting pattern with its leaves spread out wide.

Chii had never seen anything like this before. She was rendered speechless and she could do nothing but stare at this incredible phenomenon. The man pulled himself back up and looked around and saw a butterfly fluttering feebly with a broken wing. He gently caught it in his hands and it glowed with the same faint glow, and in an instant it soared away without a trace of an injury.

Then his eyes turned to Chii.

Chii's body froze from the piercing gaze he gave her. Her mind was wiped blank and she could do nothing but stare helplessly with her breath caught in her throat as the man walked toward her with great hesitation. She did not feel terrified but she felt as if she was struck dumb and that none of her body parts would move a single inch.

Chii felt as if time became agonizingly slow as he walked to her and finally he stopped right in front of her and squatted to her eye level. Chii could not tear her amber eyes away from his ink-black ones. After a long silence, he glanced down to her bruised knees and placed his hands on top of them. The familiar blue light glowed again and before her mind had registered what was happening she was overcome with warmth and a deep feeling of comfort. It was a truly unique and welcoming experience that she had never known before. But just as she had begun to enjoy it, he dragged his warm hands away from her knees and she was astonished to see them completely healed.

Chii received her voice back and was about to say something when he looked back at the man he was already walking away.

"Wait!" She cried out, immediately standing up and could not help but be amazed at how much vitality her body had attained. The man stopped for a brief moment, but he did not look back and went on his way. Chii stared at him and was shocked to see him slowly fading away. He was quickly disappearing right in front of her eyes.

Chii ran with every ounce of strength she possessed in her body. Tears were running down her cheeks and she blinked them away as she ran with all her might. How could he just do such a deed without a word of thanks? She wanted this mysterious stranger to know how grateful she felt from this small act of kindness. She wanted to know how he was able to do all these amazing things. And above all, somewhere deep inside of her, she did not want him to disappear from her life. There was something about him made her feel so warm and secure and she did not want that feeling robbed away, never to be experienced again.

Chii's limbs stretched out in despair to the man now almost gone from her sight. She wrapped them around expecting to feel the same emptiness she had always felt in her dreams, expecting for the same result that happened every time she tried to hold him. She will feel nothing and he would be gone, and she would never see him again.

But for the first time it was different.

Her arms caught his body and held unto it as tight as she could. His warmth seeped into her and she trembled with happiness. He had an earthy scent with a hint of pine and it made her relax, but she still did not relinquish her tight grasp. The man was rooted to the ground, completely still from her sudden embrace.

In a muffled voice she softly asked him, "What is your name?"


	3. A Man With Mysteries

Chapter 3 A Man With Mysteries

He didn't know what to do. This was the first time that anyone had actually been able to touch him for a long time and it surprised him that this girl could just stop him right in his tracks let alone see him. Still in her arms, he carefully turned around to face her. She looked up to his face with a blank stare but then her eyes closed shut and her head drooped back down from exhaustion.

He gently shook her shoulders before realizing that she had passed out and that she actually fell asleep right on him. The man stared at her in disbelief and with a sigh he gently picked Chii up. Her legs were wrapped around his hips and he had to hold her posterior to keep her body from slipping down. He squinted and attempted to keep perverted ideas from entering his brain as he walked silently out of the park.

By racking his brain, he decided that the inn, _Angelic Rest_, was the best place to let her stay for the night. A sudden breeze rushed through them and Chii unconsciously clenched tighter to him. Unsure of what he was supposed to do, he cautiously placed an arm on her back to help support her. This resulted to a heartfelt sigh and her head snuggling deeper in his shoulder, almost making him jump in surprise. He tried to clear his mind to calm himself down as he finally reached the inn.

He warily opened the door and peeked inside. No one was at the front desk so he slipped through without making a single sound. A sudden and disheartening thought occurred to him. He did not know her name nor if she even attends to this inn even though it's the only one in this entire town. He slapped a hand on his forehead at his own stupidity.

Despite this temporary setback he looked at the roster and scanned through all the names and tried to find one which is unfamiliar to him. After all, it was a small town and he basically knew everyone that lived here coupled with the fact that almost no visitors come by. It's in a relatively unknown area and not many people know about it except for the actual residents. He finally stopped at one name at the bottom of the roster.

_Chii, Room 201._

Momentarily puzzled at having no last name, he mentally shrugged it off and walked up the stairs to the corresponding room number. After checking the hallways to see if anyone happened to prowl nearby, he stealthily moved in front of her room. He looked around nervously to confirm that no one was around and with held breath, his arm literally went through the wooden door and rotated the switch on the doorknob on the other side. Now unlocked, he pulled his arm back and opened the door quietly and he swiftly stalked into the room closing the door behind him.

Standing right next to the bed, he tried to carefully extract Chii off of his body, but her grip on him was beyond his comprehension. No matter where he touched her, she squirmed around and held unto him even tighter than before. He pondered on his new and admittedly grueling challenge.

"_Okay…she must be **really **sensitive because if I even graze a single hair on her head, she clings unto me even tighter…I don't know how I'm still in one piece."_

He closed his eyes in deep concentration to figure out the best possible solution without waking her up.

"_All right, well I can just become transparent and go right through her. That way, I can get her off me without actually moving her by force," _one side of his mind contemplated.

"_Wait! Wait! Wait!" _The other part of his brain debated back. _"If you do that now, she will fall on the floor! That will most definitely wake her, bruise her, and most importantly, know you're in the same room with her!"_

"_All right already! Then I guess I will have to do it where there will be no chance of her falling at all…which means…,"_ He looked at Chii and then at the bed. A small, sneaky thought crawled into the depths of his imagination.

"_No! No! NO! I can't do that! It's not right! There is no way I'm doing that!" _The high-strung part of his brain screamed.

"_Well what else are you going to do?" _The more logical and reasonable part of his brain retorted back. _"It's no big deal anyway. Just start it off real gently but when you reach near the end, get out hard and fast!"_

"_That sounded DIRTY!"_

"_It's the only way so shut up and DO IT!"_

With bated breath, he carefully dragged his knees unto the bed and shifted over to the center of the mattress. Holding back a whimper he painstakingly tilted his upper torso forward until Chii's back rested on the soft mattress with a creak and his own body was now stacked right on top of her. Chii gave out a low moan and buried herself further into his chest, grinding her legs even deeper into his hips.

"_AAAARRRGGGGHHH! NOT GOOD!"_

"_DON'T BAIL OUT NOW! YOU'RE ALMOST THERE!"_

With as much strength as he could muster, he willed every single particle of his body in desperation for the sake of his sanity. With his eyes clenched shut, he frantically waited for the moment when her arms and _legs _to lose its supernatural grasp on him with grave impatience.

It never happened.

He opened his eyes and stared wide-eyed at her, dumbfounded at this new predicament.

"_WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT!" _Both sides of his mind screamed simultaneously.

His line of vision darted to his left arm and it sank through the bed mattress and his fingertips could feel the cold steel of the springs with no trouble at all. His eyes tore back to Chii's peaceful face in pure disbelief.

"_BUT THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!"_

With a sigh of defeat, he laid on his side next to her. It appeared that there was no escape from her secure lock on him so he might as well try to get himself comfortable. His eyebrows furrowed as he stared at her like he was attempting to figure out what his opponent might be thinking on the other side of the chess board.

"_Great, what am I going to do now? I need to get out of here soon without her notice…but HOW?"_

His brain was speeding away on this new predicament which was made more difficult by Chii's warm, sweet breaths lightly brushing against his cheek, distracting him even further.

"_Oh GOD, I can even fell her br…br…breas-,"_

"_Dontthinkaboutitdontthinkaboutitdontthinkaboutitdontthinkab-_,"

"Mmm," Chii groaned.

"Huh?" He uttered the first word he ever said in front of her. His neck twisted his head to face her.

"…name…" she murmured.

His eyes softened and for the first time in a long while a sense of tranquility swept over him. He leaned close to her ear and whispered one word.

"Hideki."

"Hmm…Hideki," Chii repeated as if she was tasting something sweet, and the corners of her lips curled up into a small smile. Her arms loosened its grip and lay draped around his waist. Hideki's brain shifted to overdrive now discovering that his route of escape is clear yet for some reason, his body did not budge an inch. Instead he nudged a bit closer and cautiously placed a hand on hers. He could see her smile grow wider and her slender fingers clutched back to the tender pressure. Hideki fought to keep his face straight because for the first time in many years, he almost smiled.

It was a very surreal place. The room had absolutely no walls or even a ceiling. It seemed to the casual observer, that it was suspended in the sky with nothing except a misty, golden floor. However, there were a couple of white cabinets placed near the edge, a few framed photographs hanging in the air and a big fluffy desk.

Minoru sat on a yellow cloud, reading and signing papers as each one flew to his hand from his inbox. After going through several of them they flew out of his hand and whisked away into the sky, each going off in a predetermined route. He sighed and took his cup of tea and sipped it. He was weary and tired of doing nothing but validating newcomers to this world, but it was his duty and he did receive many benefits from it.

"Sir Minoru?"

His eyes brightened as he saw the golden road stretch to the floor of his room and Yuzuki walked in with a pot of tea in her hands. She was wearing her usual maid uniform, but she said she liked the look of it and it was comfortable. Her every footstep made a puff of mist as she walked to his desk.

"Would you like some more tea?" She asked politely.

"Yes please," the cup hovered near to her teapot and she carefully poured it to the brim before it zipped back to its matching saucer in his hand. Minoru took a whiff of it and sipped it with enjoyment.

"Sir, you received a message from the council. They said it was highly urgent." She drew a folded sheet of paper and gave it to him. Minoru furrowed his eyebrows and stared at it with concentration as he meticulously read through the report. After several minutes, he put it in his pocket and stood up. The cloud that used to be his seat dissipated into thin air.

"Yuzuki, the council is asking me to confirm something and I will have to check with them to make sure of a few minor details, but I may have to leave this place right after our meeting," he spoke in a deadpanned voice.

"Oh, well travel safely," she replied. He wasn't certain, but he thought he detected a hint of disappointment from her. It wasn't often that he was called to go out of his usual work, but when he did it took many weeks to complete. He paced near the edge of the floor, inches away from falling off and plummeting into the atmosphere. Swirls of mist illuminated by the golden light spiraled up from the floor and materialized into a white door.

Yuzuki lowered her eyes to the floor. It was true that she had many friends and companions here, but Minoru always held a special place in her heart and it always saddened her to see him leave. Sure he would return eventually, but the length of time it took seemed much too long for her. However, this was all part of his job and she could not complain about it.

Minoru's hand was centimeters away from the golden doorknob when he asked quietly, "Would you like to accompany me?"

Her widened eyes shot up to him, momentarily shocked.

"Sir?" she asked, unsure of what she just heard and completely taken by surprise.

"I asked if you want to accompany me. Of course, if you don't want to you don't have to," he said, his head turned back to the door and his hand clasped onto the doorknob and twisted it.

"N-no, I-I would love to come with you. It's just that I had never gone with you on your previous assignments," Yuzuki stammered.

"Well…," he paused, "…I just thought about asking right now." Minoru looked back at her and never before did he see a more delighted smile on her face.

"I would be happy to be by your side," she said affectionately and she walked over next to him.

"Yuzuki," he spoke again.

"Yes sir?"

"That smile suits you," he said as he opened the door and blinding white light engulfed both of them.

_I'm sorry that this chapter is not as long as the previous two. I think I'm all wearied out, but I never had so much fun with this one. Plus, this is the first time I ever introduced Minoru and Yuzuki in a fanfic so I hope you liked it._


	4. Another Chance Meeting

Chapter 4:

Hideki sighed as he walked out of the inn, relieved from the ordeal tonight. It was really difficult, but at dusk he finally slipped out of Chii's grasp and hurried back to the refuge of the woods. Hopefully, Shinbo wouldn't notice-

"You're late."

_Damn._

His eyes went to the origin of the voice and they rested on a man slightly shorter than him. He has scruffy, black hair and twinkling eyes and he was looking at Hideki with a smirk on his face.

"Where were you? I didn't see you at the usual spot," Shinbo spoke casually. He was sitting on a giant, arching root.

"If I did you would probably make fun of me," Hideki replied as he sat down next to him. He knew Shinbo for as long as he remembered when he first came to the secluded town.

"Oh really? Try me." Shinbo playfully answered.

After a long silence, Hideki took a long breath and then spoke in a slightly hesitant voice. "This girl collapsed on me."

"Oh? Was she pretty?"

"What has that got to do with anything?" Hideki jerked his head to him with narrowed eyes. A sudden image of Chii's sleeping face appeared as he recalled how he had to painfully extract himself from her legs locking unto his waist and he blushed furiously at the thought. Hideki quickly turned away, but Shinbo noticed and took note of it.

"Uh, nothing. But don't you find it odd that a random girl would _see_ you in the middle of the night and then fall on top of you?" Shinbo asked with puzzlement.

"Yeah, but she did anyway and…she could…touch me and I could touch her back," he said slowly.

Shinbo now looked very interested and confused at the same time. "How is that possible? I know some people can see us, but touch us?"

"I don't know. The whole thing was weird." Hideki kicked a small pebble on the ground and watched it bounce into a small stream. The whole incident disturbed him and he didn't know what to do about it.

"So what're you going to do now? Are you going to see her again?" Shinbo prodded.

"I don't know, maybe or maybe not." Hideki replied plainly.

"I see." Shinbo had an annoying smirk on his face and it gave Hideki a sudden urge to violently wipe it off his face, but he held himself back.

Several hours passed by as they just watched the town lights turn on one by one like a Christmas tree.

"Before I leave, are you going to tell me whether she's cute or not?" Shinbo asked slyly. Hideki glared at him, but then his face softened when he remembered Chii's imploring face when they had first met.

"Well, she's about this high," Hideki indicated her height with his hand, hovering at his chest, "was wearing a white dress, has ivory hair, and brown eyes." Hideki paused for a moment, remembering that look of yearning in her eyes as she ran to him when he turned his head back from her sudden call. Shinbo waved a hand in front of his blank face.

"Erm, well I better get going before you start going all mushy on me," Shinbo mocked, feigning caution. Hideki rolled his eyes at his friend's comment and then asked with a reserved tone, "Any luck finding her?"

Shinbo shook his head rather sullenly but then said, "I'm not giving up though."

Hideki nodded and replied encouragingly, "I'm sure one day you'll meet her."

"Thanks." Shinbo said with a smile and stood up. "I'll see you next week as usual right?"

"Don't you always come here?" Hideki replied with a raised eyebrow. Shinbo laughed out loud. "You know it," he answered playfully.

Shinbo walked to the dirt road and strolled off, showing a hint of ease in his posture. Hideki watched his fading back and he saw him give one last wave before he disappeared in the direction of the rising sun.

Hideki yawned from weariness so he turned around and passed the trees and bushes toward the shadowy heart of the woods.

* * *

His eyes blinked and looked around his surroundings aimlessly. He never had a dream for a long time. He always felt that the moment he closed his eyes he needed to open them again and hours had already passed by. Hideki pulled himself up from the loam he laid in and brushed off the leaves from his chest. With another yawn, he started his personal routine that consisted of wandering around in search for an empty patch of land.

After an hour or so in a seemingly purposeless route under the twinkling stars, Hideki found a dry, brown and rather unattractive piece of earth. There were scatterings of ugly, yellow weeds poking out from different directions compared to the wide, waves of emerald grass he walked through earlier.

Hideki squatted down and stared at the scrap of ground like a mathematician staring at an exceedingly difficult equation. He turned his head left and right nervously; making sure that Shinbo wasn't around despite the knowledge that he personally saw him off last night, but he was not fully comfortable with sharing his secret yet. Shinbo might start joking about whether he should be a gardener or a florist in the later life.

His right hand emitted a faint, azure glow as it hovered over the ground and little sprouts burst out from the dry soil and rapidly grew into long, healthy blades of grass. Soon, the unattractive, brown plot Hideki stood in transformed into a vibrant, emerald lawn.

Hideki sat with his legs crossed and then with his still glowing hands, he waved in several intricate motions. Among the thick grass, a winding stem inched out and one by one, yellow petals popped out. Hideki's concentrated gaze and waving hands resembled a sculptor working precariously on a fine work of art as he made gentle sways with his palms. Under the emitting cerulean radiance, the stem grew taller and became thicker, leaves unrolled and lay open as if the plant itself was stretching its arms. As more sprouts popped out of the soil, he heard a faint voice.

"…Pretty…,"

A sudden yelp came out of Hideki's throat as he whirled around and fell back in shock crouching next to him, admiring his creations.

"Wha-, How'd you-, whe-," he stammered, staring with eyes wide as saucers at the stealthy intruder. Her head cocked to the side, looking back at him innocently.

"Did Chii do something?" Chii asked curiously.

"Er, well um, It's just…wait, you can really see me?"

She nodded in affirmation. Unfortunately, his brain was screaming that this was impossible. Nobody should be able to physically spot him other than Shinbo, who was a special case. Yet this mysterious girl was unmistakably meeting with him eye to eye.

"So, your name is Chii right?"

She nodded again, happy that he said her name. "Chii is Chii! Is your name Hideki?"

"Yeah…and how did you know that!?" He watched her with a raised eyebrow as Chii tilted her head left and right in a pondering fashion until she clapped her hands childishly and spoke aloud,. "Chii heard Hideki when Chii asked in a dream!"

"_How is it possible to remember things like THAT in your SLEEP?" _His mind screamed in exasperation. Chii proceeded to watch him curiously as he grabbed fistfuls of his hair as he silently cursed at the sky for his carelessness.

"A-anyways, you should go back home and forget everything that has happened here!" Hideki commanded with a raised arm, pointing in the general direction of the town.

"Chii?" Chii looked at him questioningly, clearly indicating that she held no knowledge of the directions back. Hideki could only stare back in with a dumbfounded expression across his features.

"All right, how about I show you the pathway?" She immediately beamed and trotted happily next to him.

It was an odd feeling. This girl had absolutely no common sense whatsoever. She probably wouldn't understand the concept of danger if it smacked right in front of her face. The idea of accompanying an unknown stranger did not ring out any warning bells in her head and she took his offer in stride with no sign of caution.

"You know, you have to be more careful when you talk to strangers. Not all of them will be nice or helpful, understand?" He began to lecture, like a parent to a child.

"But Hideki knows Chii's name and Chii knows Hideki's name."

"…Well, that's true, but you need to know more than that."

"What does Chii need to know?"

"Er…," To be honest, he never knew the fine line of how much knowledge is necessary to determine whether a person is no longer a stranger. "you need to know um, their hobbies and interests and stuff like that."

"Does Hideki like making flowers?"

"Huh? Uh, yes I do."

"Is Hideki still a stranger?"

"No. Wait yes! Ah, hold on, wha?"

"Chii doesn't understand."

"No, I er, whuh?" Hideki sputtered, his brain spun around in circles.

"Chii lives there!" Here finger pointed to a familiar building off in the distance. Hideki was wiping his eyes with the palms of his hands, still trying to sort out the conundrum he dug himself into.

"Well, never mind. Just don't come here okay? It's dangerous and you can get hurt herer. I'm not always going to be around to help you." He turned around and began to leave. After taking several steps, he felt a tugging sensation as light as a feather from his sleeve. He twisted his head back and saw a tinge of sadness written all over Chii's face.

"Does Hideki…hate Chii?" He could barely hear her speak. Chii stood as still as a stone statue, her gaze aimed at the patch of dirt he was standing on.

"No," he muttered in a voice equally soft. "Um, it's not that I don't like you. It's just that we only met twice and I really know nothing about you."

"Chiiii…," Chii looked even more pensive than before as Hideki forced his brain to think of something to say to remedy the situation.

"How about…we meet again tomorrow?" Truthfully, he was too used to isolation and mindless idleness so tonight already wore him out. He wasn't even sure if he would be able to muster the strength for another night, but the moment the question came out of his lips, Chii turned up to him with hope in her eyes.

"Really?" She asked, her demeanor completely changed to one of great anticipation. Her arms wrapped around his and squeezed it against her bosom.

"_WAAAAHHHH!" _

"I-Uh-Whuh-Er-Y-Y-Yes!" She finally let go and his hand clutched unto his chest, gasping like he was about to have a heart attack. "W-When the sun sets, I'll be at this signpost," he said halfheartedly while gesturing to the rotting street sign next to them.

What he didn't prepare for was Chii's oncoming assault as he felt the wind knocked out of him and he stumbled one step back as she gave him a bone breaking hug around his waist.

"Chii will be waiting," She murmured happily and before he could blink, she scurried off back home.

"_Ah well, maybe it won't be as bad as I thought,"_ Hideki pondered to himself as he steadily went back to the dark curtain of trees. _"She's definitely an odd one, but she can really tire a guy out."_ He looked around and saw that the sky was a swirl of orange and red. Dawn was approaching and it was almost time for him to go into another dreamless sleep. Hideki briefly wondered whether the strange, amber-eyed girl would have enough rest, but then shrugged it off. She never seemed to run out of energy even though they only met twice now.

After a while, Hideki reached to his usual resting spot and fell upon a bed of leaves. With a final sigh, he spread his legs and arms out as his mind drifted off to slumber and his body slowly faded away from sight.

_This was a bit of a short chapter, but I'm warming myself up back to writing fiction after writing essays about multiculturalism and stuff for college. Anyway, the ending seemed a bit rushed to me, but I couldn't help but make Hideki appear more mysterious than he really is. XD_


End file.
